Lovely Runner 2: Finding Grandma

Chapter 17: Where Did You Go?

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It's still raining. Back in the apartment, Sol and Sun Jae sit in the living room together. Im Sol's head rests against his chest. The watch sits on the table - out of its box.

Sighing, Im Sol picks it up. "Ah, let's try it on you," she smiles. "I always wanted to do that."

"Sure," he nods, extending his wrist, happy to let her slip it on.

"Omo!" she exclaims proudly. "It fits so nicely on you. I was the first fan to buy it, you know."

"I know," he says calmly, as if it were no big deal.

"What?" Sol blinks. "You knew??"

"Mmm-hmm," he nods.

"How?" Sol says. "I thought it was a blind auction."

"Well, when I saw your name in the shuffle, I purposely chose it. No one knew."

"Sun Jae-ah!" she smacks his arm. "I put in so much money to win... Aish!" She stomps her foot.

"Well," he shrugs cutely, looking around. "You live here with me. It didn't go to waste."

"Sun Jae-ah!" She smacks his arm again. "Don't do those things; it's not fair, even if it's for me."

"Araseo, araseo," he nods, chuckling.

Im Sol sighs again, gripping the watch.

"Do you think it'll work?"

"Well, it's not broken..."

"No. I mean, do you think we can both travel back, like we talked about?"

"You holding onto it?"

Sol nods.

"Well..." Sun Jae continues, "there's only one way to know," he says, putting his finger over the button.

"Ani!" Sol stops him. "What if you go back and can't return?"

"What-what do you mean?" he stutters.

"I mean, I lost you all those times. Depending on where we go, you might not exist there. You might not come back."

Sun Jae's face grows pale, taking this in. "So, what do we do?"

"Let me do it first," she grabs his wrist, about to take the watch off, but he pulls away.

"Ani!" he says, not wanting her to take it.

Straining to reach it, her hands wrap around his wrist. "Sun Jae-ah!" she complains, begging him to hand it to her. But when she tries to pry it off, her finger hits the button, her eyes growing wide.

In that same moment, the world blurs and twists as it did before. Im Sol and Sun Jae find themselves in a strange world, standing in the middle of a bustling Joseon-era city - their clothes surprisingly unchanged. Everyone around them dons hanbok, sellers yell in the streets, children play, and men in military uniforms wander about.

"A-A movie?" Im Sol says, perplexed.

Sun Jae blinks, Sol's hand still wrapped around his wrist.

"It worked!" his eyes flash, turning to Sol, who finally takes that in.

"Omo!" she looks down at her wrist, proud, then turns to Sun Jae. "You're right!"

She wraps her arms around Sun Jae, excited. "We did it!"

"You there!" they hear a gruff voice and see an even gruffer figure approach. A man in an officer's uniform.

Both Sol and Sun Jae look up, thinking he's talking to them, but find his gaze turned to a man who's running.

"He stole from me!" a seller yells.

"Stop right there!" the officer commands, but the thief continues. Calmly, the officer pulls out his sword, lunging towards the man with perfect accuracy. Shing! The sword cuts through him, leaving him bleeding out.

"Oh!" Im Sol's eyes widen. "Omo! Sun Jae, did you see that?"

"Yes," he nods. "I always wanted to play in an action movie."

"Whah! Isn't he so cool?" Sol remarks.

The tone shifts when a woman yells from the roof, her face covered in a mask but judging by her appearance, she's another thief too.

The officer gazes up at her, ready to begin his pursuit. But soon his expression changes when she pulls out a bow and arrow. She fires it.

It misses, grazing Sun Jae's arm. He clutches it, bleeding.

"Are you okay?" Im Sol says, worried.

"Yeah," he says, standing up straight.

"Hyah!" Sol says, drawing everyone's attention to her. "Where is the director? I'd like to talk to them right now."

Everyone looks at her dazed; some laugh, thinking she's crazy. The woman on the roof doesn't care. She fires again, hitting the officer. He drops dead at Sol and Sun Jae's feet.

This isn't a movie set. Both of them stare at each other. This is Joseon.

"Aigoo!" Sol cringes, drawing near to Sun Jae, who pulls her close, protective. "Halmeoni! Why did you bring us here?"